At a time when there is a greater need for teleworking, concerns arise about the quality of work provided by remote workers or how to avoid isolation in order to maintain the benefits of face-to-face interaction.
However, it is necessary to consider the innovative contributions that augmented and virtual reality have made to telework in recent years
Virtual reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment; it is ‘near-reality’. Its most popular implementation has been in video games and education. It uses 3D and 360 degree visualisations to capture space and depth in a similar way to our eyes, then transmits the scene to create an intriguing immersive experience.
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that expands our physical world by adding layers of digital information. In contrast to VR, AR does not create an entirely artificial environment that replaces reality, but appears in direct view within the existing environment and adds sound, video, graphics.
Augmented reality superimposes a new dimension on the existing world. Some devices, such as Microsoft’s Hololens, Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARcore, allow users to project 3D holograms and insert them into the space around them.
As these technologies find their place in the market, companies are quick to adapt them in the workplace, thanks to their many benefits:
- Remote training and conferencing has shown a 30% improvement in learning retention compared to meetings that do not use AR/VR. With no distractions, people enter into deep work mode (a skill that allows us to assimilate complicated information quickly and produce better results in less time). In fact, studies have shown that those who are easily distracted increase their productivity when using AR/VR technologies.
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– Portability allows us to work no matter where we are and have access to our workstation at all times, i.e. multiple monitors, whiteboards, etc.
– Costs are a major factor, as many people go to their workplace every day and return home perhaps twice a day (in the worst case), so working remotely lowers transportation costs.
– Customizing the virtual workspace according to our imagination and exact specifications is possible, as everything in VR is virtual software (as opposed to physical objects).
– Remote collaboration is most effective when you are at the side of our remote computer in a virtual way. Sometimes, chat or video does not make the grade when sharing screens (pair program) or working together on a whiteboard.
– Globally, remote workers rest at different times to wake up at the same time as the whole team. VR users report that they are able to reprogram their circadian cycles more effectively when using artificial sunlight in the virtual world; this also increases the productivity of the remote computer.
The future of meetings, training and day-to-day work could change dramatically with the implementation of virtual and augmented reality, which will help companies become more energy efficient. In turn, they will make time zone differences irrelevant and allow for seamless collaboration no matter where in the world the team members live.
Although the most common use of AR/VR technology is in entertainment, these branches are expanding and encompassing traditional industries, impacting daily operations in the most crucial areas.
The future is certainly remote, but this does not mean that there should be fewer links between people or that it should be less humane. Several companies are already ahead of the curve, creating dynamic technologies that use VR and AR to improve and revolutionize the way teams are structured in a work environment, as well as the way projects are performed. At the same time, they see significant savings compared to on-site office operation.
Regardless of how you refer to it (teleworking, remote working, working from home), the concept of working remotely is not new.
Remote working policies have been one of the celebrated improvements of the modern era for work-life balance and overall employee satisfaction.
Emerging technologies are beginning to occupy an important place in today’s marketplace and companies are competing to adapt them to their workplace. When it comes to virtual reality (VR) in the workplace and how it relates to remote working, it can dramatically change the way organizations conduct training, meetings and how they structure office hours.
Currently, companies have been forced to send their workers home to avoid the spread of COVID-19, so they have had to make use of new technologies, highlighting, among others, virtual reality, which offers a type of environment where you can live an immersive experience, simulating the physical experiences in digital ecosystems.
Therefore, now it is a question of thinking how it would be possible to adapt virtual reality technology to the different models of teleworking in your company.
o only teleworking can be beneficial for people who perform an office task, we can see that it can be very useful for other areas that depend on physical effort and therefore we can be sure that it will be of great benefit to the company.
However, virtual reality will undoubtedly transform remote work, making it a more interactive experience that will provide remote workers and employers with a sense of commitment, responsibility and dedication to the work they are doing.
Have you ever wondered if your company is considering making telework strategies using new technologies?
